Add MS 24199, ff 2r-38v

These folios contain a glossed copy of Prudentius' Psychomachia, illustrated with line drawings with some colour. The main body of the text was copied in the late 10th century. The text and drawing cycles are in similar tradition to the other illustrated Anglo-Saxon copies of the Psychomachia in Cambridge, Corpus Christi College MS 23 and Cotton Cleopatra C. VIII. However, both the illustrations and the textual tradition in Add MS 24199 diverge from those in the other manuscripts (see Wieland, 'The Anglo-Saxon Manuscripts' (2008), p. 228).

Decoration:

Line drawings illustrating scenes from the text throughout, some partially coloured in red, blue, green, yellow, and brown; large initials in red, green, and blue throughout; small red initials throughout. Some of these line drawings seem to have been added in the early 11th century (see, for example the lower image on f. 26v), and some are incomplete (ff. 28r-v, 29v, 30r, 32r-v, 33r-v, 35r-v, 37r-v).

The subjects of the line drawings are as follows:

f. 2r: Abraham’s sacrifice of Isaac;

f. 2v: Lot taken prisoner by kings (above); Abraham pursuing Lot’s captors (below);

f. 3r: Abraham returning after freeing Lot;

f. 3v: Abraham and Melchizedek sacrificing at an altar (above); Abraham and Sarah hosting the three Angels (below);

f. 4r: Prudentius kneeling in prayer before an altar;

f. 4v: Fides fighting Veterum Culturum Deorum with a spear;

f. 5r: Fides defeating Veterum Culturum Deorum;

f. 5v: Fides crowning the Virtues (above); Libido attacking Pudicitia (below);

f. 6r: Libido and Pudicitia fighting (above); Pudicitia piercing Libido’s neck with a sword (below);

f. 6v: Pudicitia’s victory speech over the fallen Libido;

f. 7v: Pudicitia washing her sword in the river Jordan, beside a personification of a river god;

f. 8r: Pudicitia dedicating her sword in the temple (above); Patientia surrounded by the warring host (below);

f. 8v: Ira attacking Patientia with a spear;

f. 9r: Ira attacking Patientia with a spear (above); Ira preparing to throw a spear at Patientia (below);

f. 9v: Patientia deflecting Ira’s spears and sword;

f. 10r: Ira attacking Patientia with a sword and shield (above); Ira’s sword breaking on Patientia’s helmet (below);

f. 10v: Ira committing suicide by falling on her spear before Patientia (above); Patientia standing before the fallen Ira (below);

f. 11r: Patientia and Job walking unharmed through the army;

f. 11v: Patientia promising Job peace (above); Patientia returning to the other Virtues (below);

f. 12r: Superbia riding her horse through the army;

f. 12v: Superbia riding back and forth on her horse (above); Superbia leaving the three Vices and riding her horse towards Humilitas and Spes (below);

f. 14r: Superbia on horseback trying to trample Humilitas and Spes (above); Superbia and her horse falling into a pit (below);

f. 14v: Humilitas and Spes standing over the fallen Superbia and her horse;

f. 15r: Spes offering the sword of vengeance to Humilitas beside Superbia and her fallen horse (above); Humilitas decapitating Superbia with the sword (below);

f. 15v: Humilitas beheading Superbia and presenting her head to Spes (above); Humilitas and Spes standing above the beheaded Superbia and her horse (below);

f. 16r: Spes ascending to Heaven, before the assembled Virtues;

f. 16v: Luxuria at a feast;

f. 17r: Luxuria preparing for battle (above); Luxuria riding a chariot and wielding a firebrand (below);

f. 17v: Luxuria in her chariot enchanting the Virtues;

f. 18r: Luxuria riding in her chariot, while the Virtues discard their weapons on the ground (above); Luxuria dancing alongside musicians and the Virtues surrendering (below);

f. 18v: Sobrietas chastising the Virtues;

f. 19v: Sobrietas confronting Luxuria in her chariot;

f. 20r: Sobrietas stoning Luxuria, whose chariot has overturned;

f. 20v: Sobrietas standing over the fallen Luxuria;

f. 21r: Jocus casting away his cymbals (above); Amor casting his bow and quiver to the ground (below);

f. 21v: Pompa throwing away her regalia;

f. 22r: Voluptas running through thorns;

f. 22v: Sobrietas and the Virtues trampling on Luxuria’s treasures;

f. 23r: Avaritia gathering gold and loot (above); Avaritia nursing the Vices (below);

f. 23v: Avaritia blinding men and causing crimes;

f. 24r: Avaritia luring a man to his death;

f. 24v: Avaritia driving a man into a fiery cauldron, filled with burning figures;

f. 25v: Avaritia disguising herself as Frugi;

f. 26r: Avaritia, disguised as Frugi, deceiving three men;

f. 26v: Avaritia binding a man with fetters (above); Avaritia, disguised as Frugi, confusing three men (below);

f. 27r: Operatio stoning Avaritia and distributing Avaritia’s money to the poor (incomplete);

f. 27v: Avaritia speechless with shock (above); Operatio holding down Avaritia (below; incomplete);

f. 28r: Avaritia’s death (above, incomplete); Avaritia’s money being distributed to the poor (below, incomplete);

f. 28v: Operatio addressing the troops (incomplete);

f. 29r: Pax driving away Labor and Metus;

f. 29v: The Virtues disarming and silencing their war-horns (above); the Virtues rejoicing (below, incomplete);

f. 30r: Concordia signaling the return to camp (above, incomplete); the army of the Virtues returning to camp (below; incomplete);

f. 30v: The Virtues arriving at the camp (incomplete);

f. 31r: Discordia at the gate (incomplete);

f. 31v: Discordia captured by the Virtues;

f. 32r: Discordia attacked by the Virtues (above, incomplete); Fides piercing the tongue of Discordia with a sword (below, incomplete);

f. 32v: Discordia’s body being torn to pieces (incomplete);

f. 33r: Fides and Concordia laying the foundation of a temple (incomplete);

f. 33v: Blank space (above); Fides and Concordia assembling the Virtues (below, incomplete);

f. 34v: A sketch of an animal beside a tree;

f. 35r: Blank space;

f. 35v: Blank space;

f. 36r: The Temple of the Virtues;

f. 37r: Sapientia enthroned in the Temple (incomplete);

f. 37v: Prudentius praying before the Temple (incomplete).